Admission Requirements

REGULAR STUDENTS

I. An applicant holding a bachelor’s degree from a qualified institution may be admitted as a Regular Student.

II. The applicant has earned an Associate in Arts degree or an Associate in Science Degree from a qualified institution in California. The Specialized Associate Degree (Occupational) and the Associate of Applied Science Degree, and other associate level degrees which are vocationally orientated, do not satisfy this subsection; or

III. The studies completed prior to admission constituted not less than one half the total acceptable for a bachelor’s degree at a qualified institution, and

a. at least 90 percent of the total credits necessary to satisfy the requirements of this subsection were in courses with academic, non-vocational, and nonoccupational content

b. the applicant’s grade average on all subjects undertaken was at least equal to that required for graduation from the institution attended, and

c. the applicant’s grade average on all courses with substantive content was at least equal to that required for graduation from the institution attended.

LSAT

Except for students with a Bachelor’s degree, all other regular students must take the LSAT within six (6) months of registration of law school. The score is to be used only for statistical purpose and not for purpose of Admission. Aim for at least a 50 percentile score.

Additional information about the LSAT can be obtained from Law Services, P.O. Box 2000, Newtown, Pennsylvania 18940-0998; (215) 968-1001; www.lsac.org.

SPECIAL STUDENTS

Generally, there are applicants who, for one reason or another, have been unable to complete enough collegiate work to qualify under the Regular Student status.

Applicants in this category must take the LSAT and submit the score prior to admission. A score at or above the 31st percentile is generally required. Scores more than four years old are not acceptable. In addition, these applicants must achieve the required scores listed below on designed CLEP (College Level Examination Program) exams.

Applicants who have not completed at least two years of college work in accordance with Rule 4.25(A) of the Admissions Rules and Section 6060(c)(1) of the California Business and Professions Code may satisfy the general education requirements that must be completed prior to beginning law study by attaining a score of 50 or higher on the following College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) examinations, which are administered by the College Board:

1. Under Composition and Literature category, either;
College Composition*, or
College Composition and Modular*;

AND

2. Two other examinations, each designed to correspond to full-year courses (6 semester hours each**) or four other examinations, each designed to correspond to semester courses (3 semester hours each*) that can be selected from any of the following subjects:

Composition and Literature (Humanities examination only)

Foreign Languages

History and Social Sciences

Science and Mathematics

Business

Applicants must register to take the CLEP examinations directly with the College Board and request that score reports be forwarded by the College Board directly to our law school. Applicants who are either requesting a general education evaluation or pursuing law study under the Committee of Bar Examiners' Law Office Study program must have the College Board send official score reports to the State Bar's Office of Admissions in Los Angeles; 1149 S. Hill Street; Los Angeles, CA 90015-2299. The score recipient code for the Office of Admissions is 7165.

Copies of informational brochures and registration forms are available at local colleges and universities, or by contacting: The College Board; P. O. Box 6600; Princeton, NJ 08541-6600; 1-800-257-9558; www.collegeboard.com.

Information about, and applications for the CLEP exams may be obtained from the Director of Admissions or directly from:
The College Board
2099 Gateway Place #480
San Jose, CA 95110
(408) 452-1400

Students seeking admission as Special Students must also submit a written statement describing their experience and training in order to help establish their potential to succeed in the study of law.

At the end of the first year of study, Special Students are required to take the First-Year Law Students’ Examination (FYLSX or the “Baby Bar”) administered by the CBE. Upon passing the FYLSX, a Special Student may advance to the second year of study. Students may not get credit beyond the first year of law school if on three subsequent attempts of the FYLSX they do not pass.

ADMISSION OF TRANSFER STUDENTS

A student who qualifies for admission and who has successfully completed academic work at a law school accredited by the regional or national accrediting body or by the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California may be considered for admission to Southern California Institute of Law and granted appropriate credit for prior law study.

Maximum credit for work completed at another law school is 42 semester units. The award of credit for work completed at another law school is, in all cases, at the complete discretion of the Admissions Committee. However, in no event will credit be given for work in which the student received a grade lower than the minimum grade point average required for graduation at the school attended. Transfer units, which are accepted, will count toward requirements for graduation, but previous grades will not be computed into the student’s grade point average.

FOREIGN STUDENTS

Applicants who have completed their undergraduate studies outside
the United States may also be considered for admission under Regular
Student status provided the work completed is deemed equivalent
to work completed in the United States. Equivalency must
be verified by a credential evaluation service approved by the CBE.

The following list of credential evaluation services has been
compiled by the Committee of Bar Examiners for the Los Angeles County
area.